


Choices

by kcstories



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-04
Updated: 2008-01-04
Packaged: 2017-10-08 04:43:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/72806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcstories/pseuds/kcstories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry goes to set a few things straight at The Burrow, but Draco wonders whether pushing him to do that was really such a good idea</p>
            </blockquote>





	Choices

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The Potterverse is JKR's, not mine.  
> Warnings: AU-ish. DH spoilers (minus epilogue) if you squint. Flangst. Fluff. Silliness.

Despite the warm woolen winter cloak he selected that morning, the harsh November air chills him to the bone 

_Thirty-five minutes. It might as well be a lifetime. _

Frustrated and anxious, Draco shakes his head. What the hell might Potter even be doing in there? That wretched bint hasn't actually managed to twist him around her little finger all over again, has she? 

Draco shivers once more and this time it definitely isn't from cold. 

He risks another quick peek from behind the hedges and when he stops to consider it, he has to admit hiding (cowering, even; for shame!) truly isn't a very dignified course of action. At least his father won't ever find out about this, with any luck. 

In the nearby distance, The Burrow looks the same as always. 

There's some odd Muggle vehicle on the front lawn (a bicycle of some kind, Draco supposes, though there’s one wheel too many); puffs of smoke are emerging from the sturdy chimney and the peaceful sight of the building betrays nothing of the turmoil that must be presently raging inside its walls.

  
***

 

   
_The tone is razor-sharp, unrelenting and the words might as well be spat out rather than spoken. "I was led to believe that you'd made your choice, Potter." _

_"I did… I-I have." _

_"Really? Nonetheless, the evidence would suggest the Weaselette hasn't quite got the message yet." _

_"I—" Harry sighs. "I tried, you know, the other day, but she kept interrupting me, saying something about a trip to Eastern Europe to go and see Charlie and—" _

_"Right." Draco shakes his head. "Maybe you should— oh, I don't know, Potter, perhaps put some more effort into trying to set her straight, as it were?" _

_Harry resigns himself to the fact that he probably deserves the sneer that follows. "I know," he says, dread and defeat all too apparent in his voice. _

 ***  
 

Two weeks have passed since. 

This morning, Harry finally decided to make good on his resolution, but as Draco stands there waiting, his heart in his throat and his fingers fast turning numb – ‘Why on earth didn't I bring any mittens?’ he has to ask himself. ‘It _is_ November, for Merlin's sake’ – he can’t but wonder whether in hindsight, his insistence was really such a good idea. 

What if all this backfires? 

Running a hand through his fog-dampened hair, Draco lets out another deep sigh. 

Just what the hell is keeping Potter so long? 

 

 ***  
 

_"He still loves her, you know," comes the matter-of-fact statement uttered between two forkfuls of beans and mash. _

_"Ronald, I really don't think—" _

_"Hermione," he continues calmly, feeling confident and determined to prove his point, "Harry clearly isn’t looking to date anyone else. He turns down every single girl who approaches him, even that friend of Fleur's, and she was a bit of all right, wasn't she? With that long blond hair and those big—" _

_"I beg your pardon?!"  _

_"Er— right, I mean, she was a nice enough sort, wasn't she?" Ron quickly corrects himself, though judging from the murderous glare his girlfriend is sending in his direction, more grovelling will definitely be required before any actual chance at redemption is on the cards; "I'm just surprised he gave her the cold shoulder like that; he wouldn't even talk to her properly." _

_"No doubt he has some perfectly good reasons for that," Hermione says curtly, “and perhaps it's not our place to pry or interfere." _

_Ron frowns. That doesn't sound one bit like Hermione at all. She's usually the first to stick her oar in; well, after his mother, but Molly's not here right now. _

_"Of course he has some good reasons," Ron insists. "He's still in love with my sister. You mark my words, Hermione, and I don't expect she's going to wait around for him forever." _

_"No," Hermione says flatly. "I certainly hope she won’t." _

_Ron wants to ask her what she means by that, but the dark expression on her face makes him think the better of it. _

_Frowning, Draco silently walks away from where he was eavesdropping by the door. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he tries to figure out how much Granger already knows, and how she even found out. _

_Both he and Harry have been very discreet, haven't they? _

 

 ***  
 

  
Slightly startled, Draco looks up when he hears a noise. 

The front door of The Burrow opens and before it quickly slams shut again, Draco manages to catch a glimpse of red hair, but from where he’s standing, he can't tell whether Harry's swift exit, without as much as a wave goodbye, is a good or a bad thing. 

Harry's step is slow and his expression solemn as he comes nearer. 

Draco frowns. No, he decides, this doesn't look at all promising. 

Did Ginevra succeed in changing Harry’s mind? 

But if such truly is the case, then why isn't she still standing there on the doorstep, anticipating her grand moment of glory and gloating? 

 

 ***  
 

  
_"Everyone expects them to get married, you know," she says carefully, in a soothing voice, as she puts down her cup of tea. _

_"I know, Pansy, but—" _

_"Draco, darling, I love you. You know that. You're my dearest friend, always have been, but I have to warn you: Harry Potter is a Gryffindor of the worst kind; loyal to a fault. If the Weasley tart really wants him and manages to convince him of that fact, he'll find a way to make their relationship work. He doesn't want to let anyone down. That's how he is. It's practically in his genes." She gives him a pointed look and continues, "Not to mention: the Weasleys are the only family he's ever known. Well, aside from Sirius Black and Professor Lupin, possibly, but they're long gone, and I hate to say it, I really do, but if it ever boils down to him having to make a choice between you and…them—" Pansy shakes her head sadly. _

_"You're no you help at all, you know," Draco says with a wry smile. _

_"I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t want to give you any false hope. You deserve better than that. My advice would be"—she takes a deep breath—"if you want him, enjoy him while you can, just don't make the terrible mistake of loving him." _

_Draco puts his head in his hands and mutters sadly, in a tone so soft that only he, himself, can hear, "I'm afraid it's a little late for that." _

 

 ***  
 

  
"Hello," Draco says, struggling to keep the tremor out of his voice. "So, did you tell her?" 

Harry nods. "Yes." 

Draco is almost afraid to ask, "And how did she take it?" 

"Not too well," Harry replies with a small smile. 

"I'm sorry." 

"Yeah." 

"So...” Draco takes a deep breath and remains rooted to the spot, waiting for the inevitable bomb to drop. Something doesn't feel at all right. There's something Harry's not telling him; something important. He can almost sense it swirling around in the small space between them. 

"She er— yeah," Harry finally begins. 

_Here it comes,_ Draco thinks and braces himself. "Go on... What is it?" 

"She was planning a summer wedding.” 

Draco blinks. "Pardon?" 

"A summer wedding, she said; with four bridesmaids, all dressed in blue, and Charlie would be coming over from Romania. She had it all laid out, right down to the finest detail, and she was quite serious about it, too." Harry gives an apologetic smile and continues, "I think it'll be a while yet before I can face any of the Weasleys again, and whether I'll even be welcome at their home in the future still remains to be seen." 

"I'm sorry," Draco says, and he genuinely is. He knows how much being a part of a family means to Harry, and even though Narcissa and Lucius have been surprisingly understanding about their son’s unexpected choice in partner and very welcoming towards Harry himself, the pair of them will never be a match for the Weasley clan. 

Harry shrugs. "It couldn’t be helped, I guess." 

"No," Draco says. He's unable to decide whether he should feel sad or rather relieved about this outcome, and not another word is spoken for a long while. 

 

 ***  
 

_"I truly hope our son knows what he's doing," Lucius says, studying his half-empty wineglass as though it holds all of life's answers. _

_"Of course he does," comes the dismissive response. _

_"But the Weasleys have always been.... the vindictive sort, have they not?" Lucius goes on, not convinced in the slightest. _

_Narcissa shakes her head. "You're exaggerating again, darling," she points out in a tone that's almost scolding. "You do remember what the Healers told you about exaggerating, don't you? Not terribly wise, best avoided altogether, and so forth." _

_He decides to ignore that remark. "But what if the Weasley girl takes it upon herself to get revenge on our son? What if she hexes him? It wouldn't be the first time, would it?" _

_"Well, darling," Narcissa replies, smiling a little too sweetly for comfort, "that possibility did occur to me, and I thought that perhaps if Miss Weasley were to have someone special of her own, she'd be less inclined to make waves for our boys." _

_His interest clearly piqued, Lucius raises an eyebrow. "Oh?" _

_"It has come to my attention, entirely by coincidence, of course—" _

_"Of course." _

_"—Blaise Zabini has developed a keen interest in the wretched girl." _

_Lucius frowns. "Blaise Zabini, you say? Isn't he—" _

_"—charming, rich, the most eligible bachelor under the age of thirty on this side of London?" Narcissa nods. "Indeed, darling. So when, after some carefully planning, I accidentally ran into him this morning, I took the liberty of mentioning in a not at all obvious fashion that Ginny Weasley is no longer romantically involved. He tried to hide it of course, but anyone could tell the boy was rather chuffed at the news." _

_"Hmmm." Lucius considers that for a few moments. "But what if your plan doesn't work?" he then says. _

_"Oh pish posh!" Narcissa waves a dismissive hand. "Blaise is his mother's son, darling. Of course it will work." _

_Lucius smirks. _

 

 

 ***  
 

"Come on. Let's go home." Harry breaks the painful silence. 

"To Grimmauld Place?" Draco asks, still feeling somewhat out of sorts. 

Harry nods. "We can talk some more about how you intend to redecorate the place. If we're going to live there after we're Bonded, I don't really want it to look like—" 

"An over-sized mausoleum with a fungus-problem?" Draco offers, no longer feeling tense or worried. 

"Yeah." Harry chuckles with genuine humor. "Something like that." 

Draco smiles. He takes a step closer to Harry, wraps his arms around him and Apparates them both another step closer to their future.

 

*


End file.
